Q: Can you both tell us a bit about yourselves and how your childhoods impacted your musical direction?
Laila: My childhood had such a great impact on my musical direction. I was homeschooled, self-taught myself nearly every instrument, and loved every second of discovering the language of music. My first encounters with music were asking for and getting a violin at age 3 after hearing one of my mom’s Vivaldi CDs and teaching myself piano on one that a local church donated to me. I’ve loved being a self-taught musician and making my own path.
Washy: I grew up in a small town next to Niagara Falls, called Lewiston, NY. Growing up my mom would always play music like Blink 182, Sublime, Simple Plan etc and I’d enjoy singing along with her. She was still in her early 20’s and working a lot in order to get by, so as an only child of 8 years I had to find ways to keep myself preoccupied. Music became one of the ways for me to do that, and since then I have always kind of found it as an escape from the world. Bought my first guitar when I was 8 with $80 bucks that I had saved up from birthday cards and Christmas cards.
Q: How are you planning on growing your fan base and sharing your music with the world? What message do you have for anyone who is about to discover “Laila Mack” and “Washy”?
Laila: I’m so grateful for the ability to share my music with people and reach new audiences. To me, it’s not so much a fan base as it is a friend base. We have something in common: music. I love connecting with and meeting people. I’m so grateful to everyone who listens to my music and the people that have been on this journey with me, supporting me. It means the world to me.
Washy: In 2022 I had my instagram of 17k followers hacked and shutdown overnight. I took a hiatus for about a year, considered quitting and then eventually got back in the studio switching my sound from rap/hip hop to a cleaner melodic pop rap/rnb pop. It’s taken a few years to regain momentum, but I think this go at it has been more authentic and about the big picture. I realize that most of the time it’s a bunch of small incremental wins that lead you to where you wanna go, rather than one big splash. For that reason, I’ve been enjoying building things back up with a more artistic approach, making cinematic content, creative marketing strategies and trying to make music that people can just throw on and vibe to, rather than music that people have to dial into to appreciate. It feels a lot more real than being half influencer half musician. We’ll see how it plays out though.
Q: Who is the most inspiring artist for each of you right now? And where do you both find inspiration for making music?
Laila: I’m inspired and amazed by MGK. He’s such a versatile artist and I really relate to his art and the way that he can bring his own energy and creativity to any genre and create something new. I also listen a lot to Blink-182, Green Day, and Avril Lavigne. I grew up listening to them, and so many other alt rock and pop punk bands. I love so many genres but have always been especially drawn to alternative rock. The sound is so authentic and raw, and that’s how I want my music to sound. I love that realness. As for inspiration, I find it everywhere. I don’t go anywhere without a notebook anymore because I never know when a new song will pop into my head. Usually at the most inconvenient moment.
Washy: Vandelux. First off – his melodies are insanely catchy, lyrics are hella smooth, and his instrumentals are soothing. He makes music with raw emotion that really encapsulates the chapter of life you are in when you are listening to it. When you throw a song of his on a year or two later, you remember exactly where you were at in life when you first heard it. Secondly, he was doing his thing in the corporate world and built up his passion on the side until it was stable enough for him to take the leap and go all in. I respect that a ton and hope to be able to do the same someday… Shout out to Vandleux.
Q: Can you tell us about the story or message behind your song, “Outta My League,” and what the collaboration process was like?
Laila: Working with Washy on this song was great because I feel like we shared a vision for it. When he first shared the mix with me, what I heard was an amazing song and I was so excited to be part of the project. At the time, I was in a six-week remote course with Nashville State Community College learning music business. I logged into the Zoom meet for the class 15 minutes early and was sitting in front of the camera, doodling in my notebook. By the end of those fifteen minutes, I had written my verse for “Outta My League.”
Washy: I recorded this song almost two years ago! I liked the potential of it, but I just felt like it needed an outside influence and could really see a strong female vocalist taking it to the next level. I was hanging onto it for a while, but then I moved across the country and to be honest totally forgot about it. Then I came across Laila Mack’s music via the related artists section on my spotify artist page. I was super impressed with her sound and was getting a Halsey meets Olivia Rodrigo type of vibe, but in her own way. I really wanted to see what our music would sound like together, but had just released all of the stuff i was working on. Then I remembered “Outta my league” that i recorded a couple years ago and I thought her sound could be exactly what it was missing. She hopped on it and took it to the next level. Without Laila Mack that song would never have made it out of the archives.
Q: How would you each describe your sound in one word for potential listeners?
Laila: Raw. I love the sound and feel of guitar strings and in every song I record I want those sounds to come across, through the studio elements. I don’t want the music to be perfect, I want it to be authentic. I want listeners to connect with the music and feel like they’re there.
Washy: Melodicpoprap? Is that cheating?
Q: Did you face any challenges while writing or recording “Outta My League”? How did you work through them as collaborators?
Laila: There weren’t any challenges, just working together on the best mixes, masters, and release plan. I think we worked together very well and I’m proud of our project. One challenge is that we’ve never met in person. We live across the country from each other, but that didn’t seem to hinder us in any way.
Washy: It was super smooth process. Laila crushed it with her first take, so there really wasn’t much else i could ask for. I had a couple small ideas to further incorporate her into the song more. Other than that, I felt it was seamless for a remote collab. If we had worked on the song live, I’m sure we could have come up with some really artistic ideas, but I couldn’t be happier about how much Laila brought to this piece, and how great she was to work with.
Q: What is the message of your music? And what are your goals as artists?
Laila: One of my goals is to reach larger audiences. I’d like to reach the point where I can go on tour and see the beautiful places and people along the way. I’d love to see the world and things that inspire me. I’d also like to inspire others. Every time I put out a new song or achieve a new goal, I hope it shows someone that goals are attainable and dreams can be real. Dream big!
Washy: Haha it’s definitely changed over time. 5 years ago it was about chasing success and all of the things that come with it. Now its about just vibin’ and enjoying life. I’d love to be able to shift my focus to art more and make a living out of it someday.
Q: Who is your dream artist to collaborate with? (dead or alive)
Laila: There is so much talent, with us and beyond. I wish I could’ve met David Bowie. His creativity is legendary. As for living artists, there are so many that I aspire to collab with! MGK is definitely on that list.
Washy: Drake or Mike.
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
Laila: My advice is to never stop. If music is something you’re passionate about, have a dream and never stop chasing it. As an artist, you will encounter energy drainers and things that test your confidence. Be persistent in your craft and believe in yourself. Find your unique voice and make it heard.
Washy: The only limits are the ones that you set for yourself. You’re going to learn from doing, so don’t try to make everything perfect or waste time caring about the opinions of people who don’t have your best interest in mind. As long as you keep the end goal in mind, whether it’s a failure or a success – it’s one step closer.
Q: What’s next for you? Any upcoming projects or goals you’re excited about?
Laila: I’m currently finishing up a full-length album. I’m writing songs faster than I can record them and have projects lined up in genres from country to ska to emo rap for the next two years. I wish I had a team! No shortage of music.
Washy: Working on waterfall release through the spring that will incorporate “Outta My League” and eventually turn into an EP for early summer. Have some cool content ideas on how to push the project. Stay tuned!
